The Cleveland Browns announced today that Mike Pettine has reached a deal to become the18th head coach in the overall history of the franchise.

“We wanted to be thorough right from the start and we interviewed as many people as we could,” Browns CEO Joe Banner said. “We hired the best individual for this job.”

“Our players and fans are going to really enjoy Mike Pettine and his leadership style. We’re excited to have him out in front of our team, and we look forward to working closely with him.”

It sounds good but the fact remains that Pettine might have been Brown's only choice as numerous other coaches declined meetings with him.

After coaching high school football, Pettine was an assistant defensive coach for the Baltimore Ravens from 2002-2008 before becoming the New York Jets defensive coordinator from 2009-2012. He was the Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator this season.